Semifinal Bound: Lombardi, Alfonzo Advance at Georgia Tennis Event

Renato Lombardi followed through with a couple wins Saturday to advance to the semifinals. Photo by Joel Auerbach

ATHENS, Ga. -- Barry University sophomores Renato Lombardi and Eduardo Alfonzo each advanced to the semifinals at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships hosted by the University of Georgia Saturday.

Lombardi, of Lausanne, Switzerland, was a 6-3, 7-6 (2) winner over Clemson's Christian Harris in his first match of the day at one of the premier fall men's tennis tournaments in the country. Lombardi also beat Central Florida's Chris Barrus, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in the Division III bracket quarterfinals.

Lombardi advanced to Sunday's 11:30 a.m. semifinals.

Barry's Eduardo Alfonzo, a Venezuelan native who graduated from Kaplan High School, authored a straight-sets win over East Tennessee State's Fernando Amon, 6-3, 6-2, in the third round of the Division III bracket. He then beat Central Florida's Inaki Espindola, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the quarters.

Barry junior Fabian Groetsch fell to Armstrong Atlantic's Pablo Gor in an intense three-set battle in the top bracket. Groetsch won the first set before dropping the final two in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 second round verdict in the Division I singles bracket.

Groetsch and Ahmed Triki lost to Clemson's Hunter Harrington and Daniel Strawn, 8-3, in the Division I doubles bracket Round of 16.